PNG political legal fight adjourned

From: AAP 

February 13, 2012 2:34PM

SIR Michael Somare's son Arthur has vowed to continue the legal fight to have the O'Neill government turfed out of office after the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea adjourned for another week.
The court had convened today and was expected to issue more directions for fresh hearings on the constitutionality of parliament's move to legalise its decision to end the 43-year political career of Sir Michael, 75, late last year.
However, neither side, except lawyers for Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah, had filed documentation, prompting the court to reschedule its directions hearing until 10.30am (AEDT) next Monday.
"We have decided to hear all the applications who wish to be joined as interveners," Deputy Chief Justice Gibbs Salika said.
Lawyers for the O'Neill government also raised the issue of Sir Michael Somare and his followers appointing heads of departments.

"The issue now before the Supreme Court is about legitimacy of the government and only a legitimate government can do that (make appointments)," Justice Salika said.

"They can wait for the Supreme Court reference, then they can go hell fire if they want to."The majority of parliament backed the decision to dump the former prime minister and approved it on the same day the Supreme Court ordered Sir Michael back to power.

That ruling sparked a political crisis in PNG, when there were briefly two police commissioners, two cabinets, two governors general and two prime ministers.

PNG will hold a general election in June this year.

The writs will be issued in late April, putting the government into caretaker mode.

Outside the court, Arthur Somare told reporters he would not give up the fight to have the government of Peter O'Neill thrown out, even if Mr O'Neill won the election.

"I do not care about my own election," Mr Somare, a suspended MP, said.

"I will pursue this to the end."

He said he wanted Mr O'Neill, Mr Namah and their supporters to serve "nine months and a day" for contempt of court for ignoring a Supreme Court order in December to return Sir Michael to power.

He said he wanted the sentence because convicts who served longer than nine months ere banned from running for parliament.

"Nine months and a day, that's the punchline," he said.